Search form

hard rock

Perhaps the most depressing aspect of being a fan of metal in this day and age is seeing how 'fun' has become a dirty word. When reading through the lists of bands that are popular with both the people and the critics, they tend to have one thing in common; they're miserable. Metal today is a drab, colorless world in which everything has to be dark, ugly, and consumed with the depths of suffering. There is no place in the mainstream for rock or metal music that remembers that music isn't life and death, that we're allowed to have fun, and listen to songs that make us want to sing along.

Have you ever had to put yourself out in front of other people to be judged? I think just about everybody has. Whether it was an oral report in school or a project at work, it's never easy to stand up and let people critique something you've worked hard on. It's even more difficult for an artist. Good art comes from the soul. You spend a lot of time working, practicing, honing your skills but, eventually, if you want to take your craft to the next level, you've got to put it out there and let it be judged by the masses. People you don't even know are evaluating your soul.

I'm a sucker for a gravel voiced, hard rocking woman. I don't know if it's because of how rarely I come across one that fits the bill, or if it's chemically wired in my brain that way, but there's something about a raspy voiced woman singing good ol' fashioned hard rock that makes me happy. When one comes along, all is right with the world for a little while, and this crazy world of music we inhabit makes sense.

Why are some musicians vagabonds, jumping from project to project in a constant state of motion? There's a cynical answer about the undying desire to find the band that will break through and bring fame and fortune, but for most it has to do with a need to make music. For a certain group of musicians, music is an addiction, something they have to constantly be involved with or else they go crazy. It's hard to separate these honestly passionate creators from the more shrewd businessmen, but every so often the answer becomes clear.

Following the death of lead singer Layne Staley, Alice in Chains went on an elongated hiatus. Very few bands have been able to survive the death of a lead singer, but 2009’s “Black Gives Way to Blue” put all doubts to rest and proved to the world that there was indeed life after death for the Seattle-based grunge band. With the “comeback album” now behind them, “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” seeks to prove Alice in Chains’ ability to endure in a music scene very much removed from 1990 when “Facelift,” the band’s debut studio album, was released.

It seems like every year there’s another Classic Rock revivalist band that attempts to reimagine the sounds of the ‘70s for a new generation of listeners. Bands like The Sword, Wolfmother, The Answer, Graveyard, and many others have all done a fine job incorporating the sounds of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, but they have survived their own band’s debut because they managed to blend in enough of their own identity.

Every generation needs an AC/DC. Despite losing their original lead singer, Bon Scott, in 1980, AC/DC has managed to hang around for a few generations thanks to replacement Brian Johnson. However, with guitarist Angus Young getting dangerously close to 60, there’s something about him prancing around in a schoolboy outfit that has lost some of its original appeal. That isn’t to say AC/DC has lost their touch, they’re still one of the most entertaining live acts in the world, but when the time comes to officially pass the torch, no band is better suited for the handoff than Airbourne.

You’ve all heard of Thin Lizzy. With hits like “The Boys Are Back in Town” and “Jailbreak,” Thin Lizzy has been in heavy rotation on every Classic Rock radio station since the beginning of Classic Rock radio stations. Many of you have probably even seen Thin Lizzy live in concert despite the band’s last studio record, “Thunder and Lightning,” recently turning thirty.

The Modern Rock genre can often be a difficult one to review. There is so much material out there that, eventually, everything starts to sound pretty similar. Sure, some bands are much better at captivating audiences than others, but it takes something truly extraordinary to stand out from the pack.

Originally called Dogz, Flotsam and Jetsam are probably best known for being the band Jason Newsted helped start before becoming the bassist for Metallica. After an on again, off again relationship with Metal Blade Records over the years, “Ugly Noise” finds the band, once again, with Metal Blade for their eleventh studio album. What’s more exciting for fans of the band, however, is the return of Kelly Smith on drums and Michael Gilbert on guitar. In other words, Flotsam and Jetsam is once again rocking their “Cuatro” lineup.